Golfspy_CG2 NEEDS a new Putter---Help!

[ToastedSoul]

1 hour ago, Owengeorge13 said:

Try a SiK putter, you can get them cheap now.  2nd swing golf has them available slightly used

I do like my SIK Flo M putter a lot, but I have not tried much else to be honest. I got it cheap used already last year when I started with golf and have not yet found anything better - but I haven't really looked either, since my putting is still a stronger part of my game. 

I still got myself a WellPutt mat for home practice (4m version), and I try to go through one of the "training courses" they have on their app each and every day at least once to help me keep the rhythm and pace of my putting stroke.

Sometimes I also use the Pelz Putting tutor in combination with the PuttOUT Pressure Putt Trainer to work on getting the ball started on the correct line (but I find the WellPutt mat much more fun to practice with). 

I still find myself often under-putting on the course, so I will have to address that on the outside putting green (any tips?). I'm also still struggling a lot with reading breaks on greens that just look flat to me

Concluding, I guess the quest to find the best putter is very individual for each of us and there's so many variables to consider. I went mainly by the looks to get my putter and then just practiced a lot with it. 

[Owengeorge13]

1 minute ago, ToastedSoul said:

I do like my SIK Flo M putter a lot, but I have not tried much else to be honest. I got it cheap used already last year when I started with golf and have not yet found anything better - but I haven't really looked either, since my putting is still a stronger part of my game. 

I still got myself a WellPutt mat for home practice (4m version), and I try to go through one of the "training courses" they have on their app each and every day at least once to help me keep the rhythm and pace of my putting stroke.

Sometimes I also use the Pelz Putting tutor in combination with the PuttOUT Pressure Putt Trainer to work on getting the ball started on the correct line (but I find the WellPutt mat much more fun to practice with). 

I still find myself often under-putting on the course, so I will have to address that on the outside putting green (any tips?). I'm also still struggling a lot with reading breaks on greens that just look flat to me

Concluding, I guess the quest to find the best putter is very individual for each of us and there's so many variables to consider. I went mainly by the looks to get my putter and then just practiced a lot with it. 

I have the SiK Flo c, it did great the year it came out on mygolfspys mallet most wanted.  The only con was looks.

[sporto923]

Go get fitted! Best money spent for a fitting in my opinion.  I ended up between a LAB putter and the Bettinardi Queen Bee.  Went with the Queen and haven't regretted my decision.

[SirPrised]

1 hour ago, Girldad18 said:

If you hit the putt on the line you intended and the speed you intended and it didn't go in, then there is nothing more you can do. 

I've heard this for years, but I always assumed that it was me that got the line or the speed wrong and that means there was more I could do. It's really tough to take the "just forget it" approach because it really means I need to learn how to read the putt better to be able to have a better intended line and/or speed. 

Maybe that's why I'm not very good at golf? 

[Hendu33]

I personally love my Taylormade Spider.

But I would suggest going to your favorite pro and take a couple putters for test drive. Putting is about feel and if doesn't feel right at the store or pro shop it will not on the course. 2nd if possible demo that putter on the course.

If possible get fitted. Lots of variations and weight options can be available depending on the type you choose and then match that with a comfortable grip.

Nothing worse than buying new $300 plus putter than retiring it to your garage because you did not do your homework.

[GolfSpy_APH]

2 hours ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

 

Help!! I need putter advice!

 I know there will be no shortage of that here especially on one particular brand. But i haven't felt comfortable with a putter in the last 6 months Including the following

Scotty 1.5 Flowback-my gamer for the past 2 years.

Odyssey Ai 1 Rossie a couple rounds

PING Shea-a couple rounds

EVNROLL 11 some good days and some really bad ones!! 

 MEZZ Max  was good but not great.  Only a month or so with it.   I didn't miss any short putts inside 3 feet, but I didn't make ANY putts in the 10 foot range and I'm usually good for a couple of those a round. 

Look at these stats yesterday.  Yes, I'll take the shame of publicly posting a 49....I deserve it  

Granted i played on greens that were aerated 24 hours earlier.  Also the lack of greens hit isn't too alarming. I played tees longer than I normally do  and was into a wind all day.  Par 3’s and 1 par 5 were the only ones i was capable of reaching.   And all just barely missed. Driver was excellent (more on that in my driver shootout thread) and hitting 7 fairways and 23 putts just doesn’t work.  If I had a "decent" day putting I would have shot 43 or 44 and been pretty happy.    Call me the Scottie Scheffler of the Forum  

Ok so lets hear any and all thoughts

5 putters - hmm I think you need a sixth then carry 8 other clubs. A putter gets 3 holes per round and you can use the other 8 for a modified ultimate putter bag 14 club set. 

[Jim Shaw]

1 hour ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

 

Help!! I need putter advice!

 I know there will be no shortage of that here especially on one particular brand. But i haven't felt comfortable with a putter in the last 6 months Including the following

Scotty 1.5 Flowback-my gamer for the past 2 years.

Odyssey Ai 1 Rossie a couple rounds

PING Shea-a couple rounds

EVNROLL 11 some good days and some really bad ones!! 

 MEZZ Max  was good but not great.  Only a month or so with it.   I didn't miss any short putts inside 3 feet, but I didn't make ANY putts in the 10 foot range and I'm usually good for a couple of those a round. 

Look at these stats yesterday.  Yes, I'll take the shame of publicly posting a 49....I deserve it  

Granted i played on greens that were aerated 24 hours earlier.  Also the lack of greens hit isn't too alarming. I played tees longer than I normally do  and was into a wind all day.  Par 3’s and 1 par 5 were the only ones i was capable of reaching.   And all just barely missed. Driver was excellent (more on that in my driver shootout thread) and hitting 7 fairways and 23 putts just doesn’t work.  If I had a "decent" day putting I would have shot 43 or 44 and been pretty happy.    Call me the Scottie Scheffler of the Forum  

Ok so lets hear any and all thoughts

well do you have an hour or two? I have been working on putting for about 5 years now, and have moved from a good putter to a really good putter. 

1. get a nice friend to video your stroke from behind the line (this makes sure you are lined up properly with your putter to your intended line)

2. get a putting mirror (cheap at golf town or wherever) this does many things but the main thing for me it to see where my eyes are in relation to a good strike of the ball on the putter (everyone is different in this respect) it also makes sure your putter head is square to your target line.

3. Get a snap line and snap a straight line approx 10 feet to the hole, line up the putting mirror with the snap line and roll some puts from different distances. (this gives you great feedback)

4. Get a routine that you follow "all the time" for at least a week, don't give up believe me it will help when you get out on the course.

Once you do this reach out again for next 4 steps lol...

You are brave to reach out, good 1st. step, as for putters once you figure out if you like straight back straight through (face balanced putter) or swing inside outside (more toe balanced) then stick with that... 

[Golfspy_CG2]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy BOS said:

So we didn't get to this part on the staff Slack, but I have a question for you:  Do you know what is happening with those putters? 

Do you putt with a line on the ball?  I think what you should do first is try to understand what is going on with your putting stroke.  

Is it your face angle?  If you use a line on the ball and are able to roll it end-over-end to you target then you can eliminate the face being open or shut (to your path anyway).  If you cannot roll the ball well with any of them I think it would be difficult to diagnose a push/pull or just general green reading issues. because your face angle will be causing issues.

If you are able to roll the ball end-over-end then you can look at where you miss to help figure it out.  Are you missing mostly to one side? Then maybe you have a path issue, or an alignment issue that could be solved with a fitting.  

Are your misses all over the place?  Then it could just be an alignment/green reading issue and a lesson might be in order.

I do use a line on the ball, and I've spent a lot of time this winter on EX Putt and both my path and face angle were all very spot on, and as mentioned int he Slack thing, we know that Sasha said a path or face has to be really off to cause a putt to miss. 

To the Rest of the group!

First off, lots of great replies and thoughts here, thanks to all of you.  I could have quoted just about each one as they all had valid points, but the ones below all touch on something I've ever thought about, have tried or have some thoughts on.

Also I realize a lot of you that responded don't know my propensity and easy access to knew clubs.  I'm a certified fitter with several brands and as such have a lot of access to many of the OEM's products through either demo or personal purchases.   My iron and driver purchases are well documented. I haven't been one to burn through putters, as it's generally the strength of my game.  I in fact have an actual grass putting green less than 50 yards from my office, and while I haven't yet this year, it's not uncommon for me to spend several afternoons a week out there on it.  Ultimately that's where I need to get back to in the next week once the aeration heals, it was done last week as well.   The few putting fittings I've been to, PING HQ and TM HQ I rated as a +2.1 putter, and was fit into mallet style putters.  My current Scotty is a smaller mallet, and have used the X7 in the past with great success.    

I totally realize buying a new putter or any club is not always the best answer, but it's usually the most fun.  And after all isn't that what most of us play this game for fun.  We all find fun in different ways. 

All that said, there were things in the following posts, that really were spot on and I wanted to comment on. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Josh Parker said:

I would say check out SP like @revkev mentioned. Everyone had pretty good success after the fitting and trusting the process. 

That brand is sounding interesting and I will have to go check out the testing thread. 

1 hour ago, bx4026 said:

I went through the same thing. I think spending the money to be fit is money well spent. I went for an Edel fitting only to find I should be using a blade and not a mallet. Switched and feel much better about it. Number of 3 putts has also dropped.

And oddly enough the best Blade MWT is out today...LOL 

1 hour ago, Samuel09152 said:

Take this with a grain of salt becasue I do not know as much as most of the guys mentioning stuff above me. I know that for me, putting is 95% mental. If I do not have confidence in myself, I will not make 1 putt. This was the worst part of my game until about 2 months ago. I would 3 putt everything. I changed putters around the New Year time frame and was still struggling, also. Then I played with a buddy, who watched me putt during a round and on the 5 hole, looked at me and some words I wont post here with "Just look at the d*mn hole, stop thinking, and be an athlete". Did I 1 putt that hole? Absolutely not, but like most of my game I don't just swing or rotate. I go through a check list as I swing. Putting was no different. It hit me to leave the checklist (reading the green, lining up the ball, routine stuff) before the putting. But when I step up to putt, I better putt. I have to trust in myself that I did the rountine stuff right, and then go with it. Live with the outcome. This has changed alot for me. Now my problem is trying to get the ball closer to the flag on approach shots so I am not 2 putting everything, but that is somehting different. 

 

With that said, my advice is get a putter (use the above suggestions) that makes you confident in what you are trying to accomplish, leave the routine to the routine, execute the putt by trusting yourself, and be "THE BAD MAN ON THE GREENS". 

 

I don't know if you follow Chasing Scratch at all, but in last year or the year before Eli went to TPI and I think he was working with Greg Rose on the putting green, and he used the simple analogy ---You were a good college basketball player.  When you shot free throws did you look at the Rim or the ball as you were shooting.  We all know the answer to that.  And Eli was shocked to hear that and spent a lot of time reversing his pre trigger routine.  Most of us spend 80% of the time focusing on the ball and 20% or less on the hole.   When focusing on the hole more than the ball, he improved dramatically.  

I haven't yet tried this.  But now might be the time. 

1 hour ago, StrokerAce said:

not sure what length your using but trying a counterbalanced version with a few extra inches at the top could be helpful...

https://odyssey.callawaygolf.com/putters/ai-one-cruiser/putters-2024-ai-one-cruiser-jailbird-db.html#product-specs-anchor

also - since you're a college hoops fan, commentator, radio host and player (at some point) can you recall thinking about technique before you shot the ball? maybe you're getting too technical and you just need to let it flow...

You know I'm tall...something like 6'12" last I checked....(sorry some inside humor) anyway I have always used a 35" and actually tried a 36 and 38 and had just horrible results with them.   

During my very first EVENROLL fitting with Guerin Rife, for our first member testing several years ago, he mentioned.  You should use the shortest putter that you can comfortably stand with.  So I tried a 34" and I just was never comfortable with it, so I have stuck with the 35"   It just seems to fit. 

1 hour ago, Erin B said:

Here’s my two cents. When did you last feel good about putting? When were you last stroking the best? After you remember those, what putter were you using? Putting is so much more mental than anything else. I don’t know if I’d value the last round you played as a gauge to your putting ability. Aerated greens are extremely difficult to hit the line and speed. Also it’s a new season. For instance my pro buddy just played in AZ and played horrible. He was crushing it in the sim and I had to remind him that sim golfing is different than actual play. I played horrible in Mesquite, then came home and shot a 75. Sometimes we just overthink it. The same can be said for putting as I’m sure you know. I think I’d give it a couple practice sessions with your favorite putter, starting with 4 balls with the first one at 3’ then placing one right behind the other at 2’ increments on the same line. Then do the same thing at 90* increments until you hit 360* around the hole. Do this while focusing on your grip and stance more so than if the ball goes in the hole. This helps you focus more on technique. I don’t know if this is the right answer for you, but I do this every time I get in a putting slump. The last thing I would do is buy a new putter. But if you’re convinced on buying a new putter, don’t be afraid of off brands. I tried a Pyramid putter at a golf expo and probably would have bought it if the rep wasn’t such an A**. I also tried other brands as well, but liked the Pyramid because of it’s alignment feature. (We should test them sometime on MGS.) I also like some of the other brands like PXG, Edel, and Sacks Parente. (Excuse my spelling if I butcher names.) Ping is my gamer and I’ve been with it for almost as long as I’ve been playing golf. I’ve tried other putters but have always found my way back to it. Just my two cents, I hope you find the answer. Good luck!

 

To your very first question, it was last fall.  I didn't play much this winter at all due to some recent health issues.  So obviously that is probably no. 1 reason, I need to get back into the "swing of things" as much as I can.   The Aeration greens were a handy excuse, and yes they certainly didn't help.  But one week before that, I played in a scramble and didn't make a single putt.  Our Superintendent who is my most regular playing  partner said, it looked like the ball was "jumping" off the face of my putter--the Scotty Cameron gamer.  So that was something new he said he didn't notice before.  Obviously the putter face didn't' charge or the ball, Pro V1, so something in my delivery did.  So that is something I need to get on the putting green once they heal and find out what's happening there. 

 

36 minutes ago, cnosil said:

@Golfspy_CG2, this may come as a shock, but let’s not look at putters test.   We have talked about putters in the past and you have been pretty devoted to the Scotty.   I’m also going to ignore the aerated greens number of putts.  

let’s break down putting into its skills: aim, stroke, touch, and read.   The putter really only impacts aim and stroke.   Touch is probably the most important skill.  Read is important but obviously not putter related at all…so if your reads are bad a new putter probably won’t help,  

Aim and stroke:   Most people will say this is the easy stuff and anyone can do it.   We still need to develop the skill to aim the putter on the intended line and then make a stroke that starts the ball on that line.  Putter design can help with this,  but your body will still need to be able to perform this task.   Given a straight 8 foot putt, you should be able to make 90+% of them.  This is simply being able to control club face.  I know people will say specific putters will help, but it is more how you hold and move the putter.   From my recent reading some people are stroke oriented and some are face oriented which may influence the putter and configuration.  
 

Touch:  this is the key to good putting and I’d say it is questionable how much the putter helps.   Center contact is key, so maybe some higher MOI designs help if you miss hit a lot.  How do you control speed?  This can be more mechanical by usinG how far you move the putter to more feel based where you do something mentally/visually to calculate how to move the putter.   I’d say tempo based is probably a little more difficult since you change speed to control distance.   This is where I would look first, how good is your speed control?   
 

Yeah, the aim I think goes back to the Sasha comment I mentioned above.   I would say in the past my aim and green reading has been maybe slightly above average at best.  Perhaps I need to get wish someone like our Superintendent (who you have actually played with) and get some green reading tips. 

you know since 98% of my rounds are played on the same course for the last 9 years, I may have fallen into a trap of knowing what a putt is going to do without actually reading it.  

25 minutes ago, scotter032 said:

I am loving my new Toulon Alcatraz double bend honestly. Forgiving, feels great, and I mean it looks fantastic with the black shaft.... 

Oh!!  I do love me some Toulon, I had a Indianapolis a few years ago and putted very well with it.   I do like the looks of this one 

[Peter Andrin]

I agree about the armlock. An armlock greatly reduces the chances of getting the yips. While the yips may be caused by a “mental issue”, being able to lock the putter against the forearm makes it difficult to yip it with your hands.

Practice also helps.  There’s some great tools to help build a more consistent stroke.

[downeyjr]

Anybody else looking at Meridian putters after this test? Never heard of them before and now I'm tempted to actually get one....

[Josh Parker]

Just sayin....

Best. Putter. Ever.

Ugly as hell, but I didn't care because I putted well with it.  If something works, use it. 

[TJ Hall]

I may have missed it in the posts, but what is the cause of your 3 putts?  Are you approaches hitting greens but miles away from the pin?  Speed control, starting line, green read issues?

I find it hard to give club advice, something that works for me might not necessarily work for you.

Had a Ping Anser 2i for years and was an ok putter, but started struggling with starting line (cutting across the ball).  Switched to a TM Spider and had some success, starting line was much improved but feel was not there (struggled with speed control mostly).  Had some days where I couldn’t miss, then others where I had no idea how the ball was coming off the face.

Moved to Odyssey Ai-ONE 7s as part of the test and have felt very comfortable with this putter so far.  Struggled my last round out, but I think that was the putter (me) and not the putter (club).

[Marksman]

I am only really comfortable with Anser type putters with either a double bend or plumbers neck. What I would recommend is that you make sure you get a shaft that adds stability. For me the stroke lab shafts work really well but there are probably several others you could try....

I was lucky to meet up with my perfect match in a Toulon San Diego I think...

[C Nevin]

Hard to say if it is a new putter you need or a few sessions with a good short game/putting coach.  An alignment mirror and a putting mat with straight lines on it are very helpful to make sure your takeaway is not too inside and that you are rolling the ball where intended.  The mirror is good for eye alignment and you can also set up gates to putt through with it.  Through some sessions, I found that I was too inside with my stroke and that I was under-reading the greens.  AimPoint does work and it is easy to learn…just need to trust your feet! 

[arodrig29]

3 hours ago, Girldad18 said:

Putting can be pretty mentally abusive.  In college our mental coach told me something that stuck.  You can only control two things, line and speed.  If you hit the putt on the line you intended and the speed you intended and it didn't go in, then there is nothing more you can do.  Its frustrating, but true.  I would start there if I was you.  Aerated greens are no fun and in my opinion you have a built in excuse.  

For me, you have to find a putter you like the feel of, one you know works and stick with it.  Then it is line and speed.  You cannot be on the course thinking about your putting stroke or golf swing for that matter.  

When I am struggling with this, when I am about to putt and give the hole that last look, I draw a line back to the ball on the intended line with any break and that is what I try to putt on.  Basically visualize it rolling along its intended line and going in.

Now if you are not hitting your line or your speed is way off, then you need to do some work on the putting green.  After all, we have more strokes on the green with our putter than with any other club per round so we should spend a large majority of practice time putting.

I completely agree. I went through Putter, after Putter, after Putter until I found one that I really liked the feel of. It turns out I needed a really soft face insert. The Ping Sigma 2 Tyne 4 has changed putting for me. I used to be very nervous around the green. Specifically, longer putts. But after going through a pretty tedious, putter fitting, I realized that I didn’t enjoy the feeling of a putter I wasn’t going to feel secure over it.

 

 

 

Edited March 27 by arodrig29

[GolfSpy SAM]

I have a few suggestions. Take them for what they're worth.

With this particular model, you'll want to try to hit the ball where the arrow is pointing.  It's a novel concept, but could be the solution to your issue (I didn't read very closely, but it sounds like you're missing the hole a lot. This could help.).

If you don't love the look of this one (and I get it, it's not everyone's cup of tea), you could always give this a shot:

Don't be fooled - they LOOK similar, but they're completely different.  This one's orange.  And has a lot more lines.  See? Totally different. 

Also an option:

This one's really good when you want to use it after the round to club anyone who talked smack about your game. The blood just blends right in.  And no sight lines to smear! Double-win!

In all seriouslyness (that's for those of you who like typos ), I'm a huge believer in confidence putting.  If you're confident in what you're looking down at, it can make a world of difference.  I'm also a HUGE believer in (and it was mentioned by you above) the idea of spending most of your time looking at the hole and feeling the speed, then I give a quick look to make sure I'm still aligned behind the ball, looking back at the hole one more time, and then away we go.  I've found some incredible success this way - not 100% "looking at hole while putting" style, but allowing my lizard brain to do the work of gauging speed and letting my body do the rest.  

As usual, excited to see what you decide on!

[TJ Hall]

13 minutes ago, GolfSpy SAM said:

As usual, excited to see what you decide on!

Should be a very easy decision…looked like most every putter out there had been listed so far!

[Samuel09152]

1 hour ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

 

I don't know if you follow Chasing Scratch at all, but in last year or the year before Eli went to TPI and I think he was working with Greg Rose on the putting green, and he used the simple analogy ---You were a good college basketball player.  When you shot free throws did you look at the Rim or the ball as you were shooting.  We all know the answer to that.  And Eli was shocked to hear that and spent a lot of time reversing his pre trigger routine.  Most of us spend 80% of the time focusing on the ball and 20% or less on the hole.   When focusing on the hole more than the ball, he improved dramatically.  

I haven't yet tried this.  But now might be the time. 

I have watched some of Chasing Scratch but havent seen this episode. The buddy I am talking about is possibly the best golfer I have ever met, and probably why he shouted it at me in frustration. lol  Shortly after that I started hearing of Speith used to putt like this on the Tour when he had a case of the yips. I forget the podcast, but they were say Scottie should try it. There is a lot of research on this actually. 

 

The article form Golf Digest this quote stands out to me: 'Ignoring the ball made me a better putter almost immediately—by 20 percent, according to my friend Tony. Recently, I talked with Dr. Bob Christina, a sport psychologist and an assistant golf coach at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It was Christina who conducted the study I read about, in collaboration with Eric Alpenfels, the director of golf instruction at Pinehurst. (In 2008, they expanded their findings into a general theory, in a book called Instinct Putting.) "The bottom line for me is that looking at the target frees you up to stroke the ball more naturally," Christina said." (https://www.golfdigest.com/story/david-owen-why-jordan-spieth-and-i-look-at-the-hole-on-putts) 

Regardless I still believe, the equipment matter, becasue you have to have confidence in what you are using also. If you look down in see a marshall or a brick, there is problem aslo. So I hope you find a the putter that inspires your putting! Also sorry for the school like quote there, tyring to not make it formal but also stuck in school (MBA) and work mode lol 

[GolfSpy SAM]

3 minutes ago, Samuel09152 said:

I have watched some of Chasing Scratch but havent seen this episode. The buddy I am talking about is possibly the best golfer I have ever met, and probably why he shouted it at me in frustration. lol  Shortly after that I started hearing of Speith used to putt like this on the Tour when he had a case of the yips. I forget the podcast, but they were say Scottie should try it. There is a lot of research on this actually. 

 

The article form Golf Digest this quote stands out to me: 'Ignoring the ball made me a better putter almost immediately—by 20 percent, according to my friend Tony. Recently, I talked with Dr. Bob Christina, a sport psychologist and an assistant golf coach at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It was Christina who conducted the study I read about, in collaboration with Eric Alpenfels, the director of golf instruction at Pinehurst. (In 2008, they expanded their findings into a general theory, in a book called Instinct Putting.) "The bottom line for me is that looking at the target frees you up to stroke the ball more naturally," Christina said." (https://www.golfdigest.com/story/david-owen-why-jordan-spieth-and-i-look-at-the-hole-on-putts) 

Regardless I still believe, the equipment matter, becasue you have to have confidence in what you are using also. If you look down in see a marshall or a brick, there is problem aslo. So I hope you find a the putter that inspires your putting! Also sorry for the school like quote there, tyring to not make it formal but also stuck in school (MBA) and work mode lol 

I've read that book, years ago when I was REALLY struggling with my putting. It (and the many ideas contained inside) really helped free me up to see putting as more than just the technical mumbo-jumbo and/or "line it up and hit it" and realize there is a lot of natural instinct we've been trained (or learned, one way or another) to ignore.  It's a great read.

[GolfSpy BOS]

42 minutes ago, GolfSpy SAM said:

I have a few suggestions. Take them for what they're worth.

With this particular model, you'll want to try to hit the ball where the arrow is pointing.  It's a novel concept, but could be the solution to your issue (I didn't read very closely, but it sounds like you're missing the hole a lot. This could help.).

If you don't love the look of this one (and I get it, it's not everyone's cup of tea), you could always give this a shot:

Don't be fooled - they LOOK similar, but they're completely different.  This one's orange.  And has a lot more lines.  See? Totally different. 

Also an option:

This one's really good when you want to use it after the round to club anyone who talked smack about your game. The blood just blends right in.  And no sight lines to smear! Double-win!

In all seriouslyness (that's for those of you who like typos ), I'm a huge believer in confidence putting.  If you're confident in what you're looking down at, it can make a world of difference.  I'm also a HUGE believer in (and it was mentioned by you above) the idea of spending most of your time looking at the hole and feeling the speed, then I give a quick look to make sure I'm still aligned behind the ball, looking back at the hole one more time, and then away we go.  I've found some incredible success this way - not 100% "looking at hole while putting" style, but allowing my lizard brain to do the work of gauging speed and letting my body do the rest.  

As usual, excited to see what you decide on!

ok, who hacked Matt's account to allow a typo? No way he lets a grammatical error live on in one of his posts.

 

 

[Samuel09152]

22 minutes ago, GolfSpy SAM said:

I've read that book, years ago when I was REALLY struggling with my putting. It (and the many ideas contained inside) really helped free me up to see putting as more than just the technical mumbo-jumbo and/or "line it up and hit it" and realize there is a lot of natural instinct we've been trained (or learned, one way or another) to ignore.  It's a great read.

I'm gonna have to add that book to my list to read, I just read the inserts in Golf Digest. Thanks! 

[mardukes]

In my experience, to break a putting slump make ANY kind of change to bring on a refocus.  That nothing helps you is disconcerting.

My high school golf coach who was also a driver's ed. instructor believed most hardware failures stemmed from the nut behind the wheel.

[MGS-Dave]

After getting frustrated with my odyssey, I made the switch to a TM Spyder Tour X and my game is back on track.  This putter feels well balanced going back and straight through with no twisting of the face. I ordered mine through TM with a custom length shaft and picked my grip color as well.

 

[mardukes]

16 minutes ago, GolfSpy BOS said:

ok, who hacked Matt's account to allow a typo? No way he lets a grammatical error live on in one of his posts.

 

 

maybe the same who made the commercial on the golf coverage that sings he "have went with big iron" -- or something like that.

[Golfspy_CG2]

2 hours ago, TJ Hall said:

I may have missed it in the posts, but what is the cause of your 3 putts?  Are you approaches hitting greens but miles away from the pin?  Speed control, starting line, green read issues?

I find it hard to give club advice, something that works for me might not necessarily work for you.

Had a Ping Anser 2i for years and was an ok putter, but started struggling with starting line (cutting across the ball).  Switched to a TM Spider and had some success, starting line was much improved but feel was not there (struggled with speed control mostly).  Had some days where I couldn’t miss, then others where I had no idea how the ball was coming off the face.

Moved to Odyssey Ai-ONE 7s as part of the test and have felt very comfortable with this putter so far.  Struggled my last round out, but I think that was the putter (me) and not the putter (club).

I don't know if I mentioned it specifically in any of the posts, but good question.  If I had to boil it down to one thing, it's been my speed control over the last few months.  I used to have excellent speed control never really going more than a foot or two long or a foot short.     So maybe it's just the lack of play and real time putting, I've lost a bit of sense of touch.

 

1 hour ago, arodrig29 said:

I completely agree. I went through Putter, after Putter, after Putter until I found one that I really liked the feel of. It turns out I needed a really soft face insert. The Ping Sigma 2 Tyne 4 has changed putting for me. I used to be very nervous around the green. Specifically, longer putts. But after going through a pretty tedious, putter fitting, I realized that I didn’t enjoy the feeling of a putter I wasn’t going to feel secure over it.

 

 

 

That is the putter I was fit for when I mentioned I was fit at PING HQ by their master fitters.  I putted really well with it for almost 2 years, before of course switching to the Scotty  

1 hour ago, GolfSpy SAM said:

I have a few suggestions. Take them for what they're worth.

With this particular model, you'll want to try to hit the ball where the arrow is pointing.  It's a novel concept, but could be the solution to your issue (I didn't read very closely, but it sounds like you're missing the hole a lot. This could help.).

If you don't love the look of this one (and I get it, it's not everyone's cup of tea), you could always give this a shot:

Don't be fooled - they LOOK similar, but they're completely different.  This one's orange.  And has a lot more lines.  See? Totally different. 

Also an option:

This one's really good when you want to use it after the round to club anyone who talked smack about your game. The blood just blends right in.  And no sight lines to smear! Double-win!

In all seriouslyness (that's for those of you who like typos ), I'm a huge believer in confidence putting.  If you're confident in what you're looking down at, it can make a world of difference.  I'm also a HUGE believer in (and it was mentioned by you above) the idea of spending most of your time looking at the hole and feeling the speed, then I give a quick look to make sure I'm still aligned behind the ball, looking back at the hole one more time, and then away we go.  I've found some incredible success this way - not 100% "looking at hole while putting" style, but allowing my lizard brain to do the work of gauging speed and letting my body do the rest.  

As usual, excited to see what you decide on!

Don't every change Matt...EVER

 

49 minutes ago, TJ Hall said:

Should be a very easy decision…looked like most every putter out there had been listed so far!

That is so true isn't it.  Lots of choices! 

48 minutes ago, Samuel09152 said:

I have watched some of Chasing Scratch but havent seen this episode. The buddy I am talking about is possibly the best golfer I have ever met, and probably why he shouted it at me in frustration. lol  Shortly after that I started hearing of Speith used to putt like this on the Tour when he had a case of the yips. I forget the podcast, but they were say Scottie should try it. There is a lot of research on this actually. 

 

The article form Golf Digest this quote stands out to me: 'Ignoring the ball made me a better putter almost immediately—by 20 percent, according to my friend Tony. Recently, I talked with Dr. Bob Christina, a sport psychologist and an assistant golf coach at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It was Christina who conducted the study I read about, in collaboration with Eric Alpenfels, the director of golf instruction at Pinehurst. (In 2008, they expanded their findings into a general theory, in a book called Instinct Putting.) "The bottom line for me is that looking at the target frees you up to stroke the ball more naturally," Christina said." (https://www.golfdigest.com/story/david-owen-why-jordan-spieth-and-i-look-at-the-hole-on-putts) 

Regardless I still believe, the equipment matter, becasue you have to have confidence in what you are using also. If you look down in see a marshall or a brick, there is problem aslo. So I hope you find a the putter that inspires your putting! Also sorry for the school like quote there, tyring to not make it formal but also stuck in school (MBA) and work mode lol 

I took a short game lesson from Eric whoa....maybe 10 years ago or so.  One of the best things I've ever done in my life, I'd love to go back down and see him.   He taught me there were 5 different type of short game shots and how to approach them.    I had always thought of like 1 or 2.  

[Josh Parker]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy SAM said:

I have a few suggestions. Take them for what they're worth.

With this particular model, you'll want to try to hit the ball where the arrow is pointing.  It's a novel concept, but could be the solution to your issue (I didn't read very closely, but it sounds like you're missing the hole a lot. This could help.).

If you don't love the look of this one (and I get it, it's not everyone's cup of tea), you could always give this a shot:

Don't be fooled - they LOOK similar, but they're completely different.  This one's orange.  And has a lot more lines.  See? Totally different. 

Also an option:

This one's really good when you want to use it after the round to club anyone who talked smack about your game. The blood just blends right in.  And no sight lines to smear! Double-win!

In all seriouslyness (that's for those of you who like typos ), I'm a huge believer in confidence putting.  If you're confident in what you're looking down at, it can make a world of difference.  I'm also a HUGE believer in (and it was mentioned by you above) the idea of spending most of your time looking at the hole and feeling the speed, then I give a quick look to make sure I'm still aligned behind the ball, looking back at the hole one more time, and then away we go.  I've found some incredible success this way - not 100% "looking at hole while putting" style, but allowing my lizard brain to do the work of gauging speed and letting my body do the rest.  

As usual, excited to see what you decide on!

Hahaha. I love this!  I would vote green, but that's just me. 

[Golfspy_CG2]

Since this is MGS.  I thought Id add a little data to my story 
 

So i did a quick Ex Putt session to ger some current.    Now i will say i know EX Putt is not real putting.  But having had this for probably 5 yesrs or so.  It is very good on your path and face data. 
 

As you see my tendency is in to out path and slightly closed face.   during this session i had prwtty good distwmce control and made 7 of the 20 putts from 10 feet.  Which is 35%.   Just below Tour average abd well above the 20% a 18 handicap wpuld have.  My handicap is actually 17.1. right now.  
 

Now to be fair after this. I played a 9 hole ij challenge mode where you had putts from 26 to 51 feet with some uphill and downhill and big breaks. 

They place you on the green in regulation and you go from there.   I had 22 putts so not much better than yesterday.  Now i do think there were 3 putts that went in that it didnt catch.   But still 19 would be too high.  
 

on a good round i normally have 29-31 putts  i averaged 33.5 according to the GHIN stats   

 

 

 

[TJ Hall]

22 minutes ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

I don't know if I mentioned it specifically in any of the posts, but good question.  If I had to boil it down to one thing, it's been my speed control over the last few months.  I used to have excellent speed control never really going more than a foot or two long or a foot short.     So maybe it's just the lack of play and real time putting, I've lost a bit of sense of touch.  

I found I was fairly inconsistent where I struck putts on the face, drifting towards the toe side.  Would either be short or over-compensate and catch one clean and blow it past the hole.

The Ai-ONE had helped me tremendously.

Got to go with what looks good to your eye, fits your stroke and will allow you to make a confident and consistent stroke.

[Kenny B]

4 hours ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

 

Help!! I need putter advice!

 I know there will be no shortage of that here especially on one particular brand. But i haven't felt comfortable with a putter in the last 6 months Including the following

Scotty 1.5 Flowback-my gamer for the past 2 years.

Odyssey Ai 1 Rossie a couple rounds

PING Shea-a couple rounds

EVNROLL 11 some good days and some really bad ones!! 

 MEZZ Max  was good but not great.  Only a month or so with it.   I didn't miss any short putts inside 3 feet, but I didn't make ANY putts in the 10 foot range and I'm usually good for a couple of those a round. 

Look at these stats yesterday.  Yes, I'll take the shame of publicly posting a 49....I deserve it  

Granted i played on greens that were aerated 24 hours earlier.  Also the lack of greens hit isn't too alarming. I played tees longer than I normally do  and was into a wind all day.  Par 3’s and 1 par 5 were the only ones i was capable of reaching.   And all just barely missed. Driver was excellent (more on that in my driver shootout thread) and hitting 7 fairways and 23 putts just doesn’t work.  If I had a "decent" day putting I would have shot 43 or 44 and been pretty happy.    Call me the Scottie Scheffler of the Forum  

Ok so lets hear any and all thoughts

Rob, I won’t go into putter advice or the putting stroke for that matter.  Many good comments above.  I’m looking at your scorecard, and most all GIR misses were short; understandably playing from longer tees and windy conditions.  All of the doubles were short, meaning that the chip/pitch could have been better or the pins were in difficult locations.  Personally, I find chipping on aerated greens to be very frustrating; ball doesn’t react like usual.  If the holes are located in difficult positions, 3-putts can happen on those aerated greens.  Don’t beat yourself up over 9 holes played under less than ideal conditions.

I guess what I’m saying is that your putting may not be as bad as you make it out to be.  You haven’t been playing or practicing, and you may have introduced a compensation for the quality of the greens.  It’s quite easy to unconsciously move your body during the stroke.  Monte pointed that out to me at a clinic, and I have to work prior to each round to eliminate it.  Get back on that green and putt with a purpose.

However, since I am also a MGS Forum Member, I would suggest that you should awaken your club ‘ho tendencies and pick a putter; something totally off the wall.  

[StrokerAce]

6 minutes ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

Since this is MGS.  I thought Id add a little data to my story 
 

So i did a quick Ex Putt session to ger some current.    Now i will say i know EX Putt is not real putting.  But having had this for probably 5 yesrs or so.  It is very good on your path and face data. 
 

As you see my tendency is in to out path and slightly closed face.   during this session i had prwtty good distwmce control and made 7 of the 20 putts from 10 feet.  Which is 35%.   Just below Tour average abd well above the 20% a 18 handicap wpuld have.  My handicap is actually 17.1. right now.  
 

Now to be fair after this. I played a 9 hole ij challenge mode where you had putts from 26 to 51 feet with some uphill and downhill and big breaks. 

They place you on the green in regulation and you go from there.   I had 22 putts so not much better than yesterday.  Now i do think there were 3 putts that went in that it didnt catch.   But still 19 would be too high.  
 

on a good round i normally have 29-31 putts  i averaged 33.5 according to the GHIN stats   

 

 

 

wow - Exputt looks awesome; I wonder if when you set your putter down, the face closes or opens? also - do you hover the putter or sole it on the turf?

33 putts per round is really good. Fewer than 2 putts per hole is nice.